Nick Diaz is Looking Past Georges St-Pierre to Even Bigger Fights

Nick Diaz is heading into the biggest fight of his career at UFC 158 against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, but the Stockton, Calif., native is admittedly looking past St-Pierre to even bigger fights.

Diaz has been eyeing a fight with St-Pierre for a long time, years. He finally has his shot at the reigning king of the 170-pound division after leaving the UFC and coming back, having the fight scheduled and then canceled and then scheduled again for March 16. But for Diaz, the fight with St-Pierre is just a cobblestone on his path to pound-for-pound greatness.

“I’m always on that, looking to the future. Me and Georges St-Pierre, we’re a lot different,” said Diaz on a UFC 158 media conference call on Thursday. “For me, I look past every opponent because I know I’m in this. I’m not just looking at one obstacle. I think for me it’s easier to deal with when I accept the fact that I’m never going to get out of this.

“It’s not just good fights, it’s fighters. I’m looking past every opponent to get to the No. 1 spot of the welterweight division and then I look past that. I look further beyond that.”

If Diaz were in St-Pierre’s position, he would have accepted a fight with middleweight champion and pound-for-pound best Anderson Silva.

“Like, if it were up to me, I’d take that fight with Anderson Silva. I would say, yeah, of course, I’m looking forward to being the best that can be, always,” said Diaz. “The next best thing has always been the next closer fight to the No. 1 fight, and that’s what I’ve been working toward this whole time. I always have that mindset.”

Diaz isn’t just looking past St-Pierre for a potential fight with Silva, he wants to win titles in multiple divisions in the UFC. It’s only ever been done by Randy Couture and B.J. Penn.

“If I had that option available to me I would be honored to be in that position and I would be gratefully accepting of that position or fight if you will with the 185-pound champion or the 155-pound champion (Benson Henderson),” said Diaz. “I would take either fight, and I think I could beat either guy. I would like to be the guy to win a title at both weights.

“I’d like to be a runner-up in the pound-for-pound rankings. That’s the No. 1 goal aside from the No. 1 ranking in the welterweight division.”

YES SOMEONE FINALLY ANSWERED THE QUESTION!!!!!! after 1000 articles about guys answering “I’m focused on my next fight” in $tupid interviews 1 guy said he wants it all! that at least justifies the next 1000 that don’t want to look past their next opponent, this website will live on!!!!

Oswald Cobblepott

Which is why Diaz will loss this fight! Neanderthal can’t gain a narrow focus!

RonnieV

Nick is one of a kind! So many people are so used to hearing the same text book answer, Nick is the exact opposite. I don’t agree with everything he does, but there is nobody I would rather watch fight.

DamianCross

Yeah but why does the guy who FINALLY answers the question have to be the one who can get kicked out for weed long before any of those fights happen?

dathump

I think Nick’s next big fight is with his own sanity

to beat or no to beat

lol, he just said he would always look for the biggest fights which is sort of simply stating the obvious..
But for the record he fought his sanity a long time ago and KTFO of it, it ain’t coming back

Maddawgmar

I never liked the “looking past” statement. Every single person thinks about the future. If I beat GSP, then I might call out so and so to make more money. It’s not looking over your next opponent, but looking at what that fight could lead to. Not a Diaz fan, and kinda hoping GSP does to Diaz what he (GSP) did to BJ Penn, but I respect him for being honest about his intentions should he win.

PhranktheTank

He says this so he has an excuse for losing ‘I only lost because I wasn’t focused on this fight, I can beat Georges any day’

UFC Politics Suck

Nate is a far weaker version of Nick in all aspects except heart. Nick is custom made for beating GSP. Can’t wait to read the comments after the event Saturday night.

Scotty_O

I look forward to reading yours, I’ll be looking for ya bud. Remember, be graceful in defeat.

Rory

St Pierre’s wrestling and top game won’t work this time Scotty. Diaz is the better all around fighter, and he’s going to prove it!

Scotty_O

lol it’s very easy to hate on GSP, what it’s not easy to do is beat GSP. I know you said nothing against him, but he has a lot more tools than his wrestling to beat people. Unfortunately he just doesn’t show it often. This fight he will.

Win lose or draw though, I’m looking forward to this fight!

Jay32

Diaz is a better all around fighter? What planet are you on? Diaz has better boxing and jiu jitsu, that’s it. Both of those are extremely limited when approached by someone like GSP. What good is boxing when you eat leg kicks all day long? What good is your jiu jitsu when GSP controls you from the top for 25mins ? GSP brings a wider range of striking, much superior wrestling game, physical athleticism that not one matches in the UFC. Then you take that and throw in how smart and self controlled he is in fights. His ability to execute game plans is second to no one in the UFC. This fight will go exactly the way the Condit fight did, 5 rounds of scoring and ground control by GSP, leading himself to retain the title. Afterwards we will hear Diaz cry and complain about his methods ” Calling it cheap ” and then talking about quitting, just like he did with Condit.

Sam

You said this fight will go exactly the way the condit fight did. You’re crystal ball is lying to you!

Madmaax9

I don’t even know how to answer this comment. Custom made huh? No knock out power and not smart enough to win on points…

Drock420

No knockout power? Right the ONLY person to KO Robbie Lawler inside the octagon has no KO power. & Rob KOed Kos.

Adam Bianski

If you don’t watch then don’t comment. 13 wins by ko or tko. No knock out power? Wow that ok dude.

Crashman

Yea the comments will be this ” he too couldnt stop the takedowns and ground and pound of GSP” THEN the comments will be ” im quitting the UFC’ im going to be a farmer and then make money and be a whiney bitch.

justin_e

Big talk coming off a loss. He’s marketable. He’s very good, but he is not top of any heap. He could beat GSP if he pulls off a submission, but he didn’t earn the shot. In addition, I can’t even imagine any scenario where he beats Silva. Baaaaad fight for him. Fun to watch though for sure. Plus, I’m sure he’d want to hold out for big money for a fight like that if he was WW champ. And that, as far as Dana and the fans are concerned, is not wanting the fight. He would be no different than GSP in that situation.

RonnieV

Silva & Diaz would actually be a more entertaining fight than GSP. They both fight standing up, they are the two best boxers in all of MMA. They both can take a punch. I give the advantage to SIlva, but Nick & Anderson would be a great fight…..just sayin’

RonnieV

Btw, you are right Nick is coming off a very close loss, that half the MMA world thought he won. He lost the fight to Condit, but never once was Nick ever in trouble in that fight.

you have your names mixed up. Ya might wanna read your comment before ya post it next time. Just sayin!

jeremy

You sound like your GSP’s boy friend.. Ronald is pretty spot on with what he said. you smoke pole dont you

Mike mckinney

It will be curious to see how many people just read the headline and not the article. Should be pretty easy to see who takes it out of context.
Guys always use the “not looking past my next opponent” line to get out of answering questions about their future. Gsp might be the biggest offender. The guy never answers questions about future fights. If he beats Diaz, he’ll say he hasn’t had time to think about it because of his fight. Ask him two weeks from then he’ll say he’s been on vacation and hasn’t thought about it. In fact Gsp almost never talks about guys until the UFC puts him in a fight then its back to cant look past so and so.
Probably pretty smart. Saves him the trouble of having all his haters say he’s ducking fighter B, when he says he thinks fighter A should be a good fight. You know…. The Anderson silva treatment.

MMAFAN

NIck Diaz goes around running his mouth about anything and everything. Personally I like him. But St-Pierre has to be more cautious with what he does, not only is he just a more respectful martial artist by nature, but he’s not just a fighter, GSP is a brand,

This is what Diaz had to learn if he wants to accomplish everything he’s complaining about in this media call.

jeff

Nick Diaz is the best out there. Great in pride and in ufc

Crashman

The best at what? stuttering? crying that he cant handle being adult?, whining that he’s not being paid? guess him driving that benz was paid for by picking up pop bottles eh? .. he’s a clown with the attitude of a little girl, and he’s gonna get BEAT down.

http://twitter.com/Sarcastos666 Corey Hutton

It’s official, Nick has smoked away his last remaining brain cell. And his retardation is now fact.

bajafox

I think you need to do a little more research on the effects of weed. Start with looking into the effects on the brain with CBD and CBN, one of those two triggers “the munchies” and could be used to treat eating disorders in the future.

Stop watching so much tv, it’s rotting your brain.

Cereal Killer

^^^ Another one that has smoked away his last brain cell!

bajafox

You’re clearly not educated enough on the subject to have a proper response. Do yourself a favor and never talk about weed to anyone again, you don’t want to sound stupid.

Scotty_O

Haha I love how defensive you pot heads get over weed.

bajafox

Not getting defensive over weed, I’m defending the fact that weed doesn’t make someone stupid, as he is implying.

Stupid people who smoke weed are just that, stupid.

Cereal Killer

I’m implying that Nick is stupid. He can’t hardly make a sentence without repeating himself 5 times and forgetting what his point was in the first place.

John Bunch

Carl Sagan smoked weed a LOT and was/is considered one of the greatest American astrophysicists ever. Just saying…

Scotty_O

lol thanks for sharing.

Fuzzy

It’s leptin and ghrelin signaling (hunger hormones) that gets f***** with when you smoke weed. Leptin (which signals satiety, aka fullness) is inhibited by cannabinoids. I’m not sure about ghrelin.

MuayThaiFoodq

Three out of four overweight potheads rate weed as the number 1 treatment for anorexia.

Kenny j

Diaz wins by tko (ref stoppage)!!!

jeremy

I would love that

FLUTIE

PREDICTION: GSP KICKS THE HELL OUT OF NICK’S LEGS, SOFTENS HIM UP, AND LIGHTS HIM UP WITH HIS FISTS.. NO NEED TO GO TO THE MAT.. HE’LL PROVE HIS STAND UP IS FAR SUPERIOR THAN POOR NICK.

Adam Bianski

If you have never watched nick fight then why comment . jake sheilds picked ole GSP apart on the feet. The only person GSP has beat on the feet in the past five years is KOS, what a stand up he has.

Crashman

LMAO @ Shields, ohh you mean after good ole shields open handed 2 fingers into GSP’s eye? OH RIGHT, then he STILL couldnt beat GSP, what a great fighter, now he’ll be lucky to be serving fries at mcdonalds.

RonnieV

So Ignorant! Eye pokes happen in every fight, GSP had five minutes to recover and he refused.

http://www.facebook.com/michel.heeren Michel Heeren

A lot of people see Diaz the bad guy but Diaz is a great sports man. This is going to be a though one for gsp. This weightclass is top!

Jonathan

Diaz will look so small in this fight

Mike mckinney

I found it a bit interesting that for as much as were told Gsp and Diaz are both “huge draws” that there were tickets still available for this event. Especially in Canada.
Must be that damn Diaz missing that press conference.lol
Pretty strong supporting card as well. Another thing people overlook about Gsp headlined cards. This one might be one of the weaker ones and its still pretty good.

Adam Bianski

I would love to see Diaz win this fight. Im so sick and tired of lay and prey GSP. All Diaz has to do is start a submission and GSP will tap only man in history to tap with one second left in a round. If they Stand Diaz will flat pick him apart. The only way GSP wins this fight is by lay and prey the GSP way.

Sam Kyliski

LMAO. Listen sonny, GSP has been the WW champ for 5 years now. The only ones, ONLY ONES who say GSP lays and prays are fat homosexual bloodthirsty losers who aren’t intelligent enough to understand what is happening in the game. Your quite the inbred.

jeremy

lol your an idiot… your post proves that in so many ways. and Adam is right. .. or are you sean penn still in your role I am sam?

Bigwhoop

Nick is not “dumb” he has social anxiety look it up ass clowns

MuayThaiFood

I looked it up….it said people with social anxiety don’t keep talking when they know they must be coming off like an idiot. Only idiots do that.

Randi

Maybe you ought to stop talking then!

RonnieV

Good One

Dave Perry

Hmmmmm no. He really is dumb.

Bruce Lee The Great

I really hope Diaz utilizes his bjj unlike shields. I’ll be rooting for Diaz but I’ve come to accept that GSP is the fastest WW and has the meanest jab out there. Diaz has to fight his fight but only time will tell.